Eureka Tempus

I asked one of my students to define 'Matter' and he said, "Matter is anything that has weight and occupies space."

His definition, though incorrect, was understandable because both mass and weight are closely related and are used the same way in our everyday lives. It's a common experience to hear people say, "I weigh 60kg, 40kg, etc... But wait🤔!! You follow dey make this mistake as a scientist? How can your weight be measured with the unit of mass? 😱

These quantities (weight and mass) are not the same; they refer to two quantities in Physics. So the correct definition of matter is: Matter is anything that has mass and occupies space.

In this article, we are going to critically examine these quantities and identify the key differences between them. It may be quite long, but it is worth your time.

How do I even explain this in a way that someone who is not a scientist/science student would understand?💭🤔

Take, for example, a scenario where you go to a supermarket to buy something, and you place the items you buy into a basket. Let’s assume that before buying anything, the mass of the basket was 1 kg. After purchasing items such as a tin of milk weighing 3 kg, a tin of Milo weighing 2 kg, and a packet of Golden Morn weighing 4 kg, the total mass of the system (basket + items) would be:

Total mass = mass of basket + mass of milk tin + mass of Milo tin + mass of Golden Morn packet
Total mass = 1 kg + 3 kg + 2 kg + 4 kg
Total mass = 10 kg (the quantity of matter present)

Therefore, Mass can be defined as the quantity of matter in a body.

Now, where does weight come in? 🤔

When you first picked up the basket, it felt light and easy to carry. You could swing it back and forth. However, after filling the basket with items from the market, it became heavier. And the moment you try to lift it, you feel a downward pull on your hand—this downward pull is the weight of the basket, caused by gravity."

Therefore, weight can be defined as the force acting on a body due to the earth's gravitation.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WEIGHT AND MASS

If the basket is so heavy that the downward pull (weight) on your hand becomes too much to bear, you might decide to use another basket to redistribute the load. By doing this, you will notice that the basket becomes easier to carry, and the pull on your hand is reduced. Everyone has experienced this situation, but what distinguishes a scientist is their ability to ask and answer the questions surrounding such events.

You must have seen a Christian mother who broke a chair when she attempted to sit on it 😂🤣😂. When I say 'Christian mother', I believe you understand what I mean - the heavyweights in C.W.O. Then, you are at one corner, maintaining steeze and resisting the urge to laugh out loud, but in your mind, laughter wan finish you. Then you tell your friend 'this woman suppose know say this chair no fit carry her weight.' In other words, the chair couldn't resist the downward force she exerted when she sat on it. So, the force she exerted on the chair when she sat on it was her weight. Then, her body size or how heavy she appears represents her mass.

On the other hand, if a slim mama sits on the same chair, the weight (downward force) she exerts on the chair won't have any effect. What do these scenarios tell you?

It simply shows that if the mass of a body is increasing, the weight (downward force) of the body also increases, and if the mass of a body is decreasing, the weight of the body also decreases at the same rate. So, physicists use the proportionality statement to make this point simple. We say 'Mass is directly proportional to weight', and this can be represented mathematically as:

W ∝ m ...... (i)

Where,
∝ = the proportionality sign

So, what is that single statement which distinguishes mass from weight?

Answer: Mass refers to the quantity of matter in a body, while weight refers to how heavy the body is.

OTHER DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MASS AND WEIGHT INCLUDE:

1. The mass of a body is always constant regardless of location, but the weight of a body changes with respect to location

Back to our story, imagine that the Christian mother has a mass of 100 kg. No matter where she is - at home, in the market, or even in another country - her mass remains 100 kg. This means that mass does not change with location. How can we get her weight?

Let's invoke our mathematical expression:

Recall: W ∝ m …… (i)

When you remove the proportionality sign (∝) and replace it with an equal sign, a constant (g) appears; this constant is known as the acceleration due to gravity, hence (i) becomes:

W = mg....... (ii)

Where
W = weight
m = mass
g = acceleration due to gravity

Remember, we said that g is a constant - meaning that it has a specific value.

On Earth, the acceleration due to gravity, g = 9.8m/s². So the weight of our Christian mother is:

W = mg

W = 100kg × 9.8 m/s² = 980N

What happens when the Christian mother goes to the Moon?

It's still her now!! Her 100kg remains the same, but what happens to weight?

Acceleration due to gravity on the Moon is = 1.6 m/s²

Therefore, her weight on the Moon becomes:

W = 100kg × 1.6 m/s² = 160N

You gerrit?😉

From what we have gathered, we discovered that for the same woman with a mass of 100 kg, her weight was 980 N (heavier) on Earth and 160 N (much lighter) on the Moon. Therefore, this supports the claim that the mass of a body is always constant, regardless of location, but the weight of a body changes with respect to location.

2. The second difference between weight and mass is that weight is a vector quantity while mass is a scalar quantity

A scalar quantity is a quantity that has magnitude but no direction. Imagine our Christian mother whose mass was 100kg; this information only quantifies how much matter is contained in her makeup. It doesn't tell us in which direction she is moving or where she is located.

On the other hand, a vector quantity is a quantity which has both magnitude and direction. Weight is a vector quantity because it is directed towards the earth (downward). If you try to lift this woman who has a mass of 100kg, you will experience a downward force on your arms. This downward force is the weight of the woman. This tells us that weight has magnitude (980N in the case of the woman) and acts in the downward direction.

3. Weight is measured in newtons (N), while mass is measured in kilograms

4. The instrument used for measuring weight is a spring balance or weighing scale, while the instrument for measuring mass is a beam or chemical balance.

In conclusion, mass and weight are two different quantities and should not be used interchangeably. In my next article, I will explain why it is incorrect to say “Matter is anything that has weight and occupies space”

INTRODUCTION TO BIOLOGY : CHARACTERISTICS OF LIVING THINGS

🔥FOUR-RUNNER FOR TEN

Eureka Tempus brings to your doorstep an opportunity to experience exponential increase in your learning capacity. In this program, the tutor serves as a forerunner, guiding ten (10) students on their journey to achieving unprecedented academic excellence.

Are you a parent tired of seeing your child, children or wards struggle with science-based subjects like Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Mathematics? Then this programme is for you.....

Are you are student who wishes to study courses like Medicine or Nursing but lacks confidence in yourself? Do you have the passion and willpower but feel your intellectual capacity is not enough? Then this programme is for you

Are you a science student struggling to grasp science subjects? Are you even considering switching to Arts of Commercial because you feel science is beyond your capacity? Then this programme is for you

🔥Key Benefits of the Programme

✅ One-on-One Mentorship: personalized attention to ensure understanding and measure progress!!!

✅ Pre-recorded Tutorials: Missed a session? No worries! You can catch up at your convenience with recorded lessons.

✅ Flexibility: The program is structured to fit into busy schedules, making it ideal for both students and working individuals.

✅ Digital Notes: Access to well-structured notes that simplify complex topics and enhance revision.

✅ Live Sessions: Engage with expert tutors in real-time, ask questions, and get instant clarifications.

✅ Three Sessions Weekly (2 hours): Learning is consistent and effective, ensuring you grasp concepts with ease.

✅ Clarity: Say goodbye to confusion! Lessons are delivered in a simple, easy-to-understand manner.

🔥🔥Pre-requisite

This programme is strictly for those who can read and write. If you cannot read and write, that is a challenge beyond the scope of this programme.
However, if reading and writing is not a problem to you but you struggle to understand the subjects mentioned above, then this programme is your best option.

Deadline for Registration: 3rd March, 2025.

Una dey hot🔥🔥🔥🔥

DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN WHAT IS FUNDAMENTAL AND DERIVED!!!!!

From primary school, we have been taught that the basic needs of man include shelter, food, water and clothing. These things are fundamental because, honestly, when these basics needs are not met, concentrating to do any other thing in life could be very difficult. Every other thing in life are derived from these basic needs of man. I mean, if you don't eat, how will you grow? So, growth is derived from the food (Nutrition) we eat. This is just one of many to mention in this category.

Now, still from our basic education, we were taught that, there are 26 letters of the alphabet (A-Z), these 26 letters of the alphabet are fundamental because their combination leads to the formation of other words. Like the word 'Apple' is derived because they are expressed in terms of the letter(s) A, P, L, and E. The letters themselves (A, P, L and E) are fundamental because they can not be broken into simpler letters. You get the point???

Even in our numbering system, we can categorize numbers into two sets - fundamental and derived. The digits 0-9, can be said to be fundamental because (1) they are not gotten from the combination of any other number(s) (2) they cannot be broken into simpler numbers (3) every other number you can think of is formed by a simple combination of digits between 0-9. For instance, the number '2024 (two thousand and twentyty-four)' can be said to be derived because it is expressed in terms of the fundamental digits i.e 0-9.

Relating this to Physics, there two types of quantities (1) Fundamental Quantities and (2) Derived Quantities.
Fundamental quantities are quantities that are independent of other quantities and cannot be derived from them while derived quantities are quantities that are expressed in terms of the fundamental quantities, in other words they depend on the fundamental quantities and can be derived from them.

Now, in life, things that are fundamental are very simple, the complexities is found in things that are derived. In English studies, 26 letters (A-Z) gave birth to billions of words, in mathematics only ten digits (0-9) gave birth to trillions of numbers. In Physics 7 fundamental quantities (Length, time, mass, current, amount of subs., Luminous intensity and temperature) gave birth to thousands of derived quantities.

What am I saying? Life is simple but we have all made it complicated. With what is Fundamental, you can get all that can be derived. With that one fundamental skill or talent, you can get every other thing that you wish for. Don't look down on little things, ₦1 billion has only two digits; 0 and 1. The zeros there are even trailing zeros, hence, they are insignificant. You are here chasing a one significant figure (1 s.f) meanwhile you have abandoned that talent you think is insignificant. Remember that all the zeros in the ₦1 billion you are chasing are also insignificant.

Reason life is difficult is because you don't have the fundamental but go about seeking for the derived. When there is no fundamental, nothing can be derived.

I have dropped the best tutorial you can find anywhere on "Introduction to Physics" See the comments on where you can find this tutorial.